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New healthcare research strategy
17/12/2009
A strategy aimed at strengthening Scotland's place at the forefront of international medical research was published by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon today.
'Investing in Research/Improving Health' aims to:
- Secure benefits to patients and the population at large
- Improve population health
- Value and invest in NHS research to ensure that the NHS provides high quality efficient structures to support clinical research, and
- Build and sustain skills
This will in part be achieved by a re-prioritisation of funding to look more closely at patient focused research and embed research findings within the NHS.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"In Scotland our healthcare researchers have achieved international recognition for the excellence of their science. Investing in Research/Improving Health sets out the aims and ambitions we have to sustain and build upon this current success.
"It is only by continuing to invest in our outstanding research talent that we can generate the sound evidence and exciting innovations upon which improvements to healthcare are based.
"There is much to be proud of but I do not underestimate the challenges outlined in this document. I believe that its aims will build on our achievements and ensure future benefits to our health and healthcare."
Chief Scientist Professor Sir John Savill added:
"The new strategy will also help to drive economic development by fostering Scotland's efforts to develop a world-leading biomedical research and development cluster comprising the NHS, universities and industry. Central to these developments is the unstinting support shown for clinical research by patients and the public in Scotland, for which we should all be very grateful."
The Chief Scientist Office is a division of the Chief Medical Officer Directorate within the Scottish Government with responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health and healthcare needs in Scotland. CSO has a budget of around £65 million per annum. This money is spent both directly in support of individuals, projects, programmes and research Units, and indirectly by allocating money to support research in the health service.
The Scottish Academic Health Sciences Collaboration (SAHSC) aims to establish a world leading clinical research platform for patient-orientated, translational medicine research. It builds on the close NHS and academic partnerships which already exist in Scotland's four university teaching hospitals - Aberdeen Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow - and through these to other Scottish Health Boards and universities.